More prosperity, new jobs:

A business perspective on Circular Economy policy Arthur ten Wolde Public Affairs Circular Economy De Groene Zaak / Ecopreneur.eu EBCSD Skype Meeting, 23 March 2016

Ongoing Circular Economy Activities

•  200 (NL) - 2000 (EU) sustainable companies, many pioneering with circular business models

•  Active lobby for strong CE Package •  Publications, e.g. Manifesto “More prosperity,

new jobs”, Governments Going Circular, Boosting Circular Design for a Circular Economy

•  Presentations throughout the EU •  Cooperation with other organisations

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Some Critical Success Factors

•  Demand pull for circular products and services •  Clear price incentives for producers (EPR) and

consumers (VAT) and Mandatory Green public procurement

•  Minimum requirements for circularity in Ecodesign directive

•  Enforcement of existing and new regulations •  Transparency throughout the value chain •  Quality standards for secondary raw materials

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Circular Economy Package •  Negative: No targets along the circle,

no economic incentives for consumers, little enforcement, unattractive research programmes

•  Positive: basic structure, many opportunities •  Role of EU: adopt stronger targets, ambitious

implementation •  Role of Business: continue pioneering with

circular business models in linear economy, create stronger lobby for strong CE policies

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Improve Extended Producer Responsibility 1.  Enforce existing waste regulations in relation to EPR 2.  Differentiate levies down to product and company level 3.  Ensure mandatory harmonized criteria 4.  Extend EPR to cover more and more products and sectors 5.  Mandatory investment of the EPR funds in circular economy 6.  Minimise red tape 7.  Modulated fees may involve other considerations than waste

management costs but should be transparent and based on internationally consistent criteria

8.  Boost ecodesign and secondary raw materials markets 9.  Initiate research on precycling as a way forward for EPR.

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Extend Ecodesign Directive to foster circularity 1.  Foster design for long-term value creation, economic

opportunities, a maximum positive footprint and business logic 2.  Use minimum requirements for e.g. ease of maintenance,

reparability, durability, modularity, upgradability, performance based contracting, digitisation, ease of waste collection and separation, renewable energy

3.  Amplify by EPR 4.  Extend scope to all products and services 5.  Be careful with minimum secondary raw materials percentages 6.  Systems approach: cross-organisational, cross-sector, full cycle 7.  Avoid red tape

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Thank you For more information please contact:

Arthur ten Wolde

arthur.ten.wolde@degroenezaak.com De Groene Zaak

Spaces Den Haag / Rode Olifant Zuid-Hollandlaan 7

2596 AL THE HAGUE THE NETHERLANDS

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